We all want to feel like we belong. Psychologists have known this for a long time, describing belonging as a fundamental human need that brings meaning to our lives. Traditionally, this need was filled by family and community networks. But as society becomes more individualised, with many people moving away from their community and family, […] The post Do you feel like you belong at work? appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

What difference does good management make for working mums? A lot, it turns out, but managers often lack any kind of training to be good managers. They need more training in different ways of managing than the traditional top-down style, ways that are based on knowing your team member and on empathetic listening. They also […] The post Why good managers are crucial for working mums appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

Sarah Tarlow wants to change the way we think about unpaid caring. She says the usual narrative of sacrifice and love doesn’t help carers and prevents them from getting the help they need from others. Sarah’s husband Mark took his own life after years of living with a mystery degenerative condition. Sarah, a mum of […] The post Why we need to talk about the reality of caring appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

Exam season is looming. It’s a testing time for everyone involved, including parents. You feel like you’re walking on eggshells a lot of the time. Offers to help with testing can bring hissed responses. Talk about taking breaks elicits screams of ‘you don’t understandddd’. Or you may be having to crank up the pressure because […] The post Exam season appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

Just about hanging in there is probably the status I would put on social media if I had the time to look at it. Many of the parents I speak to these days seem to be feeling similarly challenged. Everyone has their head down focused on getting to Friday or the next day off, which […] The post Hanging in there appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

In giving this response, it is important to remember that currently the school has not actually stated the teaching requirements you outline that you heard about. Your question makes clear this possible arrangement has not been confirmed or discussed further with you. When returning from maternity leave, employees are entitled to return to the job […] The post Job changed after maternity leave appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

This year marks the 10th anniversary of an organisation that has helped change attitudes towards career returners. Women Returners – now Career Returners – started up in 2014 with the aim of making career breaks a valued part of a life-time career. Since then it has worked with over 170 employers and helped over 3,000 […] The post A decade of supporting returners appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

Parents, more than anyone, know about intergenerational issues as we spend a lot of our lives trying to understand and communicate with our kids as well as sometimes caring for our own parents.  This week is Global Intergenerational Week and a webinar yesterday titled ‘The benefits of applying an intergenerational approach to the workforce’ highlighted […] The post Intergenerational working appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

Crackdowns on asylum seekers; new proposals on tightening of welfare rules? You’d think the Government was gearing up for a general election. With promises of tax breaks the usual Conservative tactic ahead of an election that means cutbacks somewhere along the line. As is the custom, it seems, the poor and vulnerable are the ones […] The post Electioneering appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more

Perimenopause, the lead-up to menopause, can be a really challenging time for many women. Whether it’s struggling with hot flushes, joint pain or fatigue, many of the symptoms experienced can interfere with the working day. Menopause is characterised by a drop in the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Many of the difficult symptoms are due to […] The post Nutrition tips for perimenopausal and menopausal women appeared first on workingmums.co.uk ..read more